BLM OR/WA CCSP Western Lily Studies, Coos Bay
Western lily (W. Lily, Lilium occidentale) is a federally listed Endangered plant species. In addition, it is listed as endangered by the State of Oregon and is also considered endangered or threatened throughout its range by the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center. This species is endangered due to reduction in population number, size, and connectivity, over-collection and illegal harvesting, habitat loss and damage, coastal development, cranberry production, and lack of fire in its preferred habitat. The 1998 final recovery plan for the endangered W. Lily itemized nine steps to accomplish downlisting for the species. One step is for known site conservation, especially the need to manage sites to stabilize and to enhance W. Lily populations using site-specific plans and the best available genetic information. The plan also identifies reintroduction of new populations as an essential step in recovering the species. The Bureau of Land Management has been working with Dr. Ed Guerrant, Director of the Plant Conservation Program at Portland State University, since 1996 on two separate W. Lily studies at the New River Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). Beginning in 1996, an experimental reintroduction was begun at the New River ACEC. Dr. Guerrant has monitored this population annually and in 2011 the first flowering plants were noted. To date, no natural reproduction has yet occurred at the site. This ongoing project has been monitoring the population to assess growth, plant numbers, herbivory, and to compare how well the original seeds and bulbs have fared over the years. Competing vegetation at the site has been managed to promote W. Lily plants. In 2003, a population of 16 individuals was discovered near the New River ACEC reintroduction site. In 2006 Dr. Guerrant began an assessment of this small population to determine what its habitat preferences were, how well this small population was doing, documenting reproduction, assessing whether or not habitat management might benefit the existing population, and if it may be possible to augment the population with transplants. This project has involved a yearly demographic survey to measure and map all plants found at the site. By 2014, the population had grown to close to one hundred plants. Seed had been harvested and plants (bulbs) are being grown out for future augmentation of the existing population. The objective of this program is three-fold: (1) to learn more about the habitat requirements and reintroduction techniques for Western lily (W. Lily, Lilium occidentale), a federal Endangered plant species (2) to provide the BLM, Portland State University, and plant conservationists more information on using reintroduction as a conservation tool and (3) to provide information about the conservation and the management of W. Lily.
Office: Bureau of Land Management
sdowley@blm.gov
